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Compulsory Car Inspections
Cars in Japan must have a compulsory car inspection certificate to drive on roads. In Japanese, this car inspection is called the "jidosha no kensa", but is usually abbreviated to "shaken". Shaken period For typical passenger cars, new cars come with a 3-year shaken certificate, and each renewal inspection after that is good for 2 years. Because of the high cost of the shaken, it is common for car owners to sell their cars near the end of the first or second shaken period. For used cars, the value can vary greatly depending on the length of the remaining shaken period. How to perform shaken Typically, at the time of shaken an optional maintenance check is done, then the test is performed at a test center. There are three basic ways to perform the shaken, from most expensive to least expensive: * Take the car to a car dealer or repair shop which performs a maintenance check and performs the test at the test center for you. * Do a maintenance check yourself (or at a shop), then take the car to a "shaken shop" that performs the test at the test center for you. * Do the maintenance check yourself (or at a shop), then perform the test at the test center yourself. Of course, if the car fails the test, you must make the necessary repairs then retake the test. In the first case and sometimes in the second case, the shop will perform the repairs. In the latter two cases, usually you can get the shaken done in one day if there are no problems. In the first and second cases, you might be able to get a temporary car while they are doing the shaken. In the first case, it might take 2-3 days. If you aren't good about getting routine maintenance for your car, the first option may be better, since they will probably perform extra maintenance services all at one time. Fees for shaken Fees to acquire a shaken certificate are: * Weight tax (As of Apr 2006, 25200 yen for 0.5 to 1.0 t, 8800 for yellow plate) * Compulsory insurance (自動車損害賠償責任保険, "jidousha songai baishou sekinin hoken") (as of Apr 2006, 30680 yen for white plate, 24880 for yellow plate) * Recycle tax (only once in lifetime of car) * Revenue stamp (2000 yen) The following fees may or may not apply: * Repairs, if necessary * Inspection and maintenance, if not done yourself * Service fees (so the shop can make a profit). This is often disguised under some other name (similar to "document handling fees" when you buy a car). After the shaken You will receive: * The shaken certificate (A4 size) * Shaken sticker (rectangular, placed on the windshield behind the rearview mirror) If the maintenance check is performed at a certified shop, you will receive: * Periodic inspection and maintenance sticker (circular, placed in the upper corner of the windshield on the passenger side). However, this is optional. The government recommends performing this check once a year or more. Shaken shops * Refer to Alien Times for some options